


I'm Coming to Ya

by Gregariousowl



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alzheimer's Disease, M/M, after the band, like seventy years from now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-13
Updated: 2013-10-13
Packaged: 2017-12-29 07:10:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1002444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gregariousowl/pseuds/Gregariousowl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry retells the volunteer at the nursing home his life with Niall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Coming to Ya

“Mr. Styles,” Carter, a volunteer helper at the local senior citizens home, rolled in her cart of medication. “Where are ya?”

It was delayed a few seconds, but the unmistakable raspy voice of Harry replied with “In the common room, love.”

She went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water before grabbing the cup labelled ‘Styles, Harry’ and headed towards the 89 year old man. He was sitting in arm chair with the same tired eyes and weary smile.

“Have a seat,” Harry offered, pointing to the sofa. “Give an old man some company.”

Carter nodded and helped him swallow his pills before sitting down and preparing herself for the story Harry told her every time she came to give him his medicine. It wasn’t a terribly boring story, it was actually really sweet, so she let the old geezer with Alzheimer’s tell her once again.

“You know I was once married,” Harry started off, fiddling with the gold band still around his wedding finger. “His name was Niall Horan. You may have heard of him – we were in a band together called One Direction, but that was way before your time.”

Carter nodded politely. She had heard of the band, of course she had – especially when her mom was such a big fan and had practically gone nuts when she had mentioned she visited a fellow named Harry Styles every Wednesday and Friday.

“He was my sunshine. He had the most infectious laughter and the prettiest eyes. He was real fit too,” Harry chuckled. “All the girls loved him. But instead of goin’ after one of them, he went after me. I still can’t believe it, I tell ya. I guess I believed he’d never go after one of his band mates, but he was full of surprises.”

“Like when he first asked me to be his, instead of just asking me to be his boyfriend, he just started holding my hand right before one of our movie premieres and when the paparazzi asked if we were official, he just shrugged and said “Might as well be.” That was probably one of my best memories of him. He did the same thing when he proposed, ya know? We were watching Hangover III when he just blurted out ”Wanna get married in Vegas?” “

Harry was starting to get glassy eyes as he recounted all the fun times he had with his husband. Carter’s own eyes were starting to mist up even though she already knew the story word for word.

“We were married for almost seven decades, but it feels like only a fortnight. Time always flew by with my Irishman. I can remember when we were three hours late to rehearsal because we were playing Dance Central on his Xbox and he was determined to beat my high score.” Harry laughed to himself, producing a small coughing fit. Carter quickly jumped up and rubbed his back while making him sip some water before letting him continue. “Where was I…?”

“You were married for almost seven decades and time flies.”

Harry nodded, “Oh yeah, anyway, we were together 68 years before he… left us. We managed to raise two little girls _and_ a boy in this house right outside London. I reckon it’s still there, but I haven’t been there to check on it in sometime.”

Carter decided not to mention that staff had specific directions to not let Harry out of their supervision because he’d been getting more forgetful lately so any plans on visiting his old residence was out of the question.

“We bought the property in 2020, I believe and customise designed it to our liking. The children loved it though. It’s hard to believed we raised all three of them so quickly, ya know? It feels like just the other day Grace, Cameron, and Michael were little toddlers. Now they’re adults with their own children. Niall would’ve loved to meet them – their kids, I mean. He never got a chance to meet Grace’s son, Michael’s twins, or Jasmine’s daughter.”

Carter bit her lip from correcting the old man. She’d met Grace’s _daughter_ , _Cameron’s twins,_ and Michael’s _son_ once or twice during her weekly visits.

Checking her watch, Carter noted she’d already spent twenty minutes with the geezer. So to wrap things up, she asked the same question that always ended up the story, “Mr. Styles, you always say Niall _left_ , but where’d he do exactly?”

Like every time, a stray tear fell down Harry’s cheek, “He died, love. He’d been sick for a long while and he just… gave up and died.”

“I’m sorry for your lost, sir.”

Harry nodded and grabbed his shiny cane with the tennis ball at the end that was leaning against his chair and stood up, “I think I’ve kept you hear long enough though. I’m going to go take a nap.”

She nodded and helped him to his bedroom before returning to her cart and making the rest of her runs.

-

For the next year, Carter became accustomed to the cycle. Every Wednesday and Friday she’d visit Mr. Styles, give him his medicine, spend twenty minutes listening to the same old memories ( and mistakes about whose name is who and who had which children), and then she’d patiently lead him to his room so he could take his nap and she could resume her work.

-

Slowly, but surely however, Carter noticed Harry having a more frustrating and difficult time getting the story out, forgetting and switching up names and events, and just completely confusing himself until one day, Harry just stopped telling the story.

-

It only took three more visits before the expected happened.

Carter came in one day to find out that old popstar, Harry Styles, had finally bit the dust and left them all for good – just like his husband.

“At least they’ll be together,” Carter mumbled to herself as she skipped Harry’s old room and moved straight to Mrs. Freeman’s.


End file.
